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7 Medical Services That Lost Full Coverage This Quarter By Teri Monroe, 16 hrs ago Saving Saving Advice Follow https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=00YLMq_18LxBVHB00 Image Source: Shutterstock The definition of “medically necessary” is shrinking rapidly. Insurance companies are quietly rewriting their coverage policies to save money. Services that were fully covered last year now come with a price tag. This shift often happens mid-contract without a clear warning to patients. You arrive for a routine appointment expecting a zero-dollar copay. You leave with a bill for hundreds of dollars. This quarter has seen a spike in denials for routine diagnostics and comfort measures. Insurers are classifying formerly standard procedures as “lifestyle” choices or “investigational.” They shift the financial burden entirely to the patient. If you have an appointment scheduled for any of the following, check your coverage immediately. You may need to sign a waiver agreeing to pay cash. Routine Vitamin D Testing Doctors often add this test to your annual blood work. Insurers have decided it is largely unnecessary for the general population. Many plans now classify routine Vitamin D screening as investigational without a specific diagnosis. You need a documented history of osteoporosis or kidney disease to qualify. If you just want to check your levels, you will pay the full lab fee. This can range from $50 to $200 per test. Deep Sedation for Colonoscopies Colorectal cancer screenings are free under federal law. The anesthesia used during them is not always covered. Many insurers now refuse to pay for Propofol, known as deep sedation, for average-risk patients. They argue that cheaper “conscious sedation” is sufficient. If you want to be completely asleep, you may have to pay the anesthesia surcharge yourself. This out-of-pocket cost can exceed $500.